Chapter 130 - 124: A Blind Date with Jiang Jingshi

Chapter 130: Chapter 124: A Blind Date with Jiang Jingshi

Lin Zhengran chuckled. "Is that so? But even now, I still think the girl in the photo looks like Jiang Qian."

Jiang Jingshi blinked, her long lashes fluttering. She didn’t dwell on it, as the two sisters were easy enough to tell apart. "So, Zhengran, who do you think is prettier? The girl in the photo, or me?"

Lin Zhengran answered honestly, "To be honest, you’re both very pretty."

Jiang Jingshi let out a soft laugh. "You’re still such a smooth talker, Zhengran. But I’m taking your words to heart. At least now I know you find me attractive."

Just as she finished speaking, a rather old mother cat padded over to Lin Zhengran, stared up at him, and let out a couple of tentative meows.

Lin Zhengran looked down at the large cat.

’She looks a little familiar.’

Then, as if it had confirmed something, the cat started rubbing against Lin Zhengran’s leg.

Jiang Jingshi was surprised. "It seems to know you. Have you met this cat before? The cats here are all very gentle, but they don’t usually get close to anyone but me."

Lin Zhengran squatted down, studying the large cat.

She did seem familiar. He reached out and stroked her head, and it suddenly hit him. ’Isn’t this the kitten I rescued from a tree with Han Wenwen the first time we met?’

’She’s gotten so big now.’

When the cat saw that Lin Zhengran recognized her, she happily nudged her head against his hand again.

It was as if she were thanking him for what he’d done back then.

Lin Zhengran said, "I remember now. I have seen her once before. So this cat is yours, Jiang?"

Jiang Jingshi finished handing out the cat treat in her hand. "I take care of all the cats here. They were abandoned by their original owners and ended up at various animal hospitals. I saw them and brought them here to live with me. This one is no different. In fact, she just had kittens not too long ago."

Jiang Jingshi pointed to a litter of kittens in front of her. "See? These little ones are all her babies."

Lin Zhengran looked over curiously. In a fairly spacious nest, four or five kittens were busy eating the food Jiang Jingshi had just given them.

They were impossibly cute.

The kittens seemed to have a natural affinity for Lin Zhengran as well, meowing at him one by one in tiny, high-pitched voices.

Jiang Jingshi noted with some wonder, then glanced at the other cats in the room. She noticed that almost all of them were curious about Lin Zhengran, and some even looked like they wanted to approach and rub against him.

"You’re a real natural with animals, Zhengran. They say online that men who animals love are often kind-hearted... the type a woman can entrust her life to."

Lin Zhengran smiled, stroking the big cat’s head. "And you believe what you read online, Jiang?"

Jiang Jingshi leaned in closer to him.

"Not all of it. I only believe what I want to believe. But in my eyes, you really are the kind of man girls dream of dating. Zhengran, do you have any idea how many girls were talking about you at the music competition today? You didn’t even get on stage, and I still couldn’t count them all."

Jiang Jingshi spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "When I heard all that, I actually felt a strange little pang of jealousy. After all, you’re my fiancé, Zhengran~"

Puzzled, Lin Zhengran turned to look at Jiang Jingshi. She was staring right back at him.

Lin Zhengran asked with a smile, "Someone like you, Jiang... you actually believe in that whole childhood engagement thing?"

Jiang Jingshi turned her gaze back to the kittens.

"Like I said, I only believe what I want to believe. And what’s that supposed to mean, ’someone like you’? In your eyes, Zhengran, am I not allowed to have someone I like? Am I not allowed to fall in love? I’m a woman, too. I need to be cherished, you know."

Lin Zhengran looked at the kittens.

"Of course you can. But based on your usual way of doing things, Jiang, you clearly aren’t concerned with matters like this. At least, you wouldn’t put falling in love at the top of your list. Because even though you act and speak very gently, your ambitions are written all over your face. Your mind is completely on your career."

Jiang Jingshi snorted with laughter and shot him a playful glare.

"You really do understand me, Zhengran. To be honest, while I’ve thought about being in a relationship before, I’ve never really cared much for it. I just never met anyone I liked. Until..."

"I met you. You’re the type of man who makes women curious the moment they see you. Even I’m curious about you."

She smiled, but her expression was unreadable. "You know... ever since I met you, Zhengran, it feels like I’ve had nothing but bad luck in my career, the one thing I care about most."

"Take today’s competition, for instance. The moment you showed up at the venue, my heart sank. I’ve invested a lot of money in this competition—far more than the last one."

"I’m sorry, but..."

"But you’re still going to beat me?" Jiang Jingshi cut him off.

"It’s not about beating you. It’s about winning the competition," he answered.

"Is that so? I can believe that." A cat jumped into Lin Zhengran’s lap, and Jiang Jingshi noticed cat hair clinging to the fabric on his shoulder and chest.

She gently reached over to pick it off. "I’ve always thought I was a good judge of character, but there’s always someone better out there. For now, it’s clear I’m still a ways behind you, Zhengran."

"It’s strange, though. The last time, when you and that girl, He Qing, beat me, I was a bit angry. You really made me waste a lot of money."

"But this time... this morning, backstage at the music competition, I heard all those girls talking about you, saying my team might lose again. For some reason, the thought of you beating me doesn’t make me as angry as it used to."